Commitment 101: Nick Herbig

The Wisconsin Badgers added four-star outside linebacker Nick Herbig to their 2020 recruiting class Monday. Here's what Herbig's commitment means for head coach Paul Chryst moving forward.

Looking at Herbig's junior tape from St. Louis High School in Hawaii, his burst at the snap of the ball is impressive. At 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, Herbig is able to generate a great deal of power in his first few steps, allowing him to get into the backfield in a hurry. As the tape progresses, you also see an athlete who can drop into coverage (two interceptions for touchdowns are shown), shed blockers in order to make tackles and play in space.

Speed is certainly is a big part of Herbig's game and it will be interesting to see if he can keep that quality as he continues to add more weight. Right now, though, you can really see the flexibility and "bend" Herbig uses to maneuver around offensive tackles in his pursuit of the quarterback in blitz packages. You talk about wanting to play downhill, and Herbig certainly has those characteristics. Herbig takes good pursuit angles, transitions well from run to pass coverage and finishes tackles with a violent tick.

Herbig is going to make some Wisconsin fans think of Spencer Lytle, another four-star outside backer from the West Coast who signed in the 2019 class. But with his style of play - aggressive, fast-twitch, high-energy - Herbig could resemble former in-state standout Vince Biegel from Wisconsin Rapids.